Banner towing means for airplanes



March 26, 1940. s. s. PIKE BANNER TOWING MEANS FOR AIRPLANES Filed Opt. 21, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 J I0N YENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

March 26, 1940. s. s. PlKE 2,194,869

BANNER TOWING MEANS FOR AIRPLANES Filed Oct. 21, 1958 I 2 Sheets-She'et 2 Patented Mar. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES rA EN'r OFFICE i 2,194,869 BANNER TOWING MEANS FOR AmPLANEs I Sele Sidne Pike, Howard Beach, N. Y. I 7 Application October 21, 1938, Serial No. 236,154

' 1 claim. (01. o-127;)

This invention relates to the towing of aerial advertising banners which are commonly upwards of 100 feet long, with a width of '7 feet or more, and because of their weight and displacement fixed to the tail area of the airplane. The bracket comprises a saddle frame 3 which is shown in Figure 2 and may be bolted to the tail of the airplane as at the point 31:. Rearwardly projecting from the saddle frame are two frame bars 4' 5 present serious difiiculties in the distribution of which meet and are secured to the lower end of 5 the stresses at their point, or points, of connecthe vertical release bar 2. To further reinforce tion between the forward end of the banner and the'release bar a curved strut or struts 5 may be the tow rope and ropes, and also at the point, or employed. e points, of connection between the tow rope or At its upper and at its lower ends the release ropes and the fuselage of the airplane. bar 2 carries short bracket arms, one being shown 10 It is the object of the present invention (a) to at 6, Figure 7, to which is pivoted a release hook provide an improved distribution of stresses at I over which is adapted to be thrown a locking the forward end of the advertising banner; (b) to yoke 8 when the cable 9 is on the hook. The" provide a construction employing two tow cables locking yoke has an eye at its free end to be in such manner that the tow ropes may be led engaged by cable it guided by a pulley I l. down- 15 from under the fuselage, one rope in advance of wardly to a lowermost pulley l2 from which the the other, so as to distribute upon the fuselage cable may lead to the cock pit. The lower tow at spaced points, divided stresses from the adcable 9w is engaged by its release hook l which vertising. banner, and (c) to provide an imis held by its latching yoke 8, the latching yoke portant safety factor through the employment of being connected to the cable Illa: which may lead 20 two tow cables so connected to the advertising over pulley l2 and be either cOnnectedtocable E0 banner that upon the breaking of one tow cable, or separately led to the cock pit as shown in the the banner will not be lost, but will be thrown. drawings. out of normal operation, tending to rotate and The advertising banner generally indicated at thus visibly attracting the attention of the pilot l3 carries at its forward end the usual rigid '25 so that the airplane may be landed to re-establish spreader bar It. Three bridle lines shown genthe towing connection. orally at l5 lead to an eye member it to which The invention will be described with reference tow cable 9 is connected. The lowermost of to the accompanying drawings, in which: I these bridle lines lie substantially. above the Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an airlongitudinal center of the spreader bar 84. Con- 30 D Showing the connection therewith of an. nected to the spreader bar substantially below advertising banner, fragmentarily shown, by the longitudinal center thereof are three bridle means of an embodiment of the invention. lines I51: connected to an eye Isa: to'which the Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the to cable 911,- is, in turn, connected, i 1

5 airplane tail section to better illustrate the cable- By the use of two tow cables in the manner attaching instrumentalities. illustrated and described, the stresses at the for- Figure 3 is all and elevation of the Structure ward end of the banner are evenly divided, and shown in Figure Somewhat schematically should one of the tow cables 9 or 9r break, or shown. should any one of the connections for said cable 40 F eure4 s viewin elevation Showing abanner tear loose, the Sign will not be lost through its 40 Spre bar and double tOW rope Connections release and the tearing action of wind currents with straps forming part of the banner construcand obstacles in the uncontrolled descent thereof. tion lead reaIWaTdlY 0f the Instead, the unequal pull upon the spreader bar Figure 5 is a View, Similar to Figure Showing at an end thereof substantially at one side of 4.5 a modified form of double tow line connections th longitudinal center, will cause the-sign to Wi t Spreader slowly roll, throwing ,the' same out of oper- Figure 611s a fra e a y longitudinal section ation, but calling the pilots attention to the on the line 6B, Figu e necessity for landing and reconnecting'the de- Figure '7 isa fragmentary View in elevation of ranged t rope l he tow line rel ase r and rele hook eon- While-the bracket and release bar arrange- 50 struction a p oy in Figures 1 and 2. ment illustratedin Figures 1 to 3 and 6 and 7 In the constructions shown in Figures 1 to 3, is desirable in some cases and where'theair- 6 and 7, the airplane I has connected thereto a plane is so constructed-that the added weight of release hook bar 2 carried by a strong bracket the bracket does not derangethe stability of the airplane, there are many cases where the stresses 55 from the tow cable may be advantageously distributed at a plurality of points on the fuselage, and therefore the cables 9 and 91: may be led under the fuselage to release hooks which may, for example, be positioned one slightly back of the cock pit, and one at the tail of the ship. Also, the two tow cables may be led to a single point of the fuselage and to a single release hook or two adjacent release hooks.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 5, the tow cables 9 and 9.1: are connected to the spreader bar I 4, each through the instrumentality of two bridle lines l1, l8, leading to the eye members I6, Him, and by a bridle line If! which extends continuously from eye member IE to an eye bracket 20 on the spreader bar at the longitudinal center thereof, and thence to eye member lfizc. In this modification, the breaking of either of the tow cables 9 or 9-1: will cause a more rapid roll of the banner and such a fluttering and audible signal effect to the pilot that he will very quickly be informed by such safety factor, that it is necessary to land and re-establish the proper connections.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

In banner towing means for airplanes in combination with an advertising banner and a spreader bar carried thereby at its forward end of two towing cables adapted for connection with an airplane fuselage, a bridle line connecting each cable with the spreader bar at a point near an end thereof, and a second bridle line leading from the end of one towing cable to the end of the second towing cable and loosely passed through an eye member carried by the spreader bar at approximately its longitudinal center.

SELE SIDNEY PIKE. 

